Transport for London delays Night Tube services – no one is surprised!

In a long expected move, Transport for London, the operator of Tube, bus and other transport services in the UK’s capital, announced a delay to its much heralded Night Tube.

A promise of the outgoing London Mayor, Boris Johnson, the tube plans to operate some lines on Friday and Saturday nights have been opposed by the Trade Unions. Complaints about ‘Work Life Balance’ have lead to strikes amongst the well paid Tube Drivers, causing chaos in the capital. More strikes are planned.

The services provided would have been:

Central line: trains will run between Ealing Broadway and Loughton / Hainault

Jubilee line: trains will run on the entire line

Northern line: trains will run on the entire line except on the Mill Hill East and Bank branches

Piccadilly line: trains will run between Cockfosters and Heathrow Terminal 5

Victoria line: trains will run on the entire line

Today TfL announced:

However, as we continue discussions with our trade unions on rosters this means that it will not now be possible to agree these and communicate them to staff in time for the Night Tube to be launched on 12 September.

It has been clear that the Mayor has been backtracking on this for some time, even saying in an interview that no date had been set, as TfL displayed posters with the 12 September date clearly shown.

This is pretty much a victory for the Unions who can spin out the discussions as much as they like.

It is, however,bad for the capital where a whole world of change would have been produced by the Night Tube.